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After Texas A&M shooting, Perry backs gun rights

Perry said he doesn't think laws should take guns away from law-abiding citizens. | AP Photo

By TOMER OVADIA | 8/13/12 4:50 PM EDT

Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Monday defended gun rights as police investigated a deadly shooting near Texas A&M University, saying firearms issues should be addressed by states and that he doesn’t think “taking guns away from law-abiding citizens” would make the country safer.

“When it gets back to this issue of taking guns away from law-abiding citizens and somehow know that’s going to make our country safer, it’s just I don’t agree with that,” Perry, who noted he didn’t have all the details of the shootings, said on Fox News while sitting next to Florida Gov. Rick Scott.

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“I think most people in Texas certainly don’t agree with that, and that is a state-by-state issue, frankly, that should be decided in the states and not again a rush to Washington, D.C., to centralize the decision-making, and them to decide what is in the best interest for the citizens of Florida or for Texas,” Perry continued. “That’s for the people of these states to decide.”

Perry also said people should be able to own guns so that they can defend themselves.

“Texans, I will suggest to you, by and large a majority of them, a large majority of them, believe that law-abiding men and women should be able to have their weapons,” he said. “Criminals are never going to listen to the laws. They’re always going to have weapons or whatever source they want, whether legal or illegal, and I think it’s wise for the people of the state of Texas to be able to defend themselves when there is a law-breaker that comes into their midst with a weapon.”

In the Texas incident, authorities said the gunman, who had yet to be identified, died, as did a constable and one other civilian who had been shot.

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Something to think about if you are counting on your gun to protect you:

ORLANDO -- Three officers and a dispatcher will be disciplined for their transmissions the night of a deputy-involved shooting that killed Andrew Lee Scott.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office was assisting Leesburg police in the search for a suspect, which led to the mistaken shooting.

When the Leesburg officers learned of the shooting, records show they joked about how the Blueberry Hill II apartment complex would be offering move-in specials for an apartment with fresh paint and carpet.

A police department spokesman said the four would go through sensitivity training, but declined to comment on the disciplin the four would face.

Meanwhile, the 26-year-old's family spoke out for the first time Monday regarding his death.

Miranda Mauck, 20, was watching a movie with her boyfriend at 1:30 a.m. on July 15 when she heard a pounding on the door.

"Frightened and concerned not only for me but for himself, he grabbed the gun which was located inside our bedroom," Mauck said.

What Scott didn't know is deputies were the ones knocking looking for a suspect whose motorcycle was parked in front of his Leesburg apartment. They never identified themselves.

"The door was only open a little bit," Mauck said. "(tears) Almost immediately a hail of gunfire started, Drew never aimed his gun or shot at anyone."

Scott was killed. Deputies later found the right man wanted for battery in the next apartment building.

Sheriff Gary Borders wasn't available for comment Monday, but after the shooting defended the deputy.

"This deputy when the door opened had a gun pointed in his face. There's nothing he could have done differently in that instance," Borders said.

But the family said the sheriff, who expressed his condolences through the media, has failed to reach out to them personally. They said his policy for deputies not to identify themselves led to the shooting.

"I demand justice for my son. God forbid another mother has to ever go through this pain," said Scott's mother Amy Young.

"They killed Drew I was there. Drew was an innocent man who didn't do anything wrong," Mauck said.

The deputy involved remains on administrative leave during a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation. The family's attorney, Mark NeJame, said he expects to file a lawsuit seeking millions in damages once that's complete.

Sheriff Borders faces re-election Tuesday.

NeJame said Monday's news conference was not politically motivated. He said the family simply needed time to try to heal and look for answers.

Imagine hosting a birthday party for your son or daughter that included taking a group of 10 or 15 youngsters to the local movie theater. Would you feel more or less safe if you noticed a man in a nearby seat with a firearm on his person? As for me, I know I would move the party to the local bowling alley or roller rink and inform the management. Even if I was alone at the theater and decided to remain, my attention wouldn't be on the movie but on this individual. Even if I was legally carrying a firearm myself. I'd start to look for incriminating or suspicion raising qualities in this individual. His race or ethnicity, any tattoos, the way he's dressed. But in the end, there is one common characteristic to all perpetrators of mass shootings. They are all armed.

What about the mentally unbalanced who have guns?, or the seemingly 'law-abiding' gun carrying, Concealed weapon carrying Joe who gets angry and takes out a pistol. The more weapons you have at your disposal, and available, the more the chances increase that an accident happens. By accident i define that as: child picks up gun not locked up, marital dispute ends in gun violence, mentally unbalanced individual gets multiple guns and rifles and wrecks havoc, criminal uses gun for crime and discharges weapon, concealed carry gun holder accidentally discharges weapons..

Former money manager Ann Barnhardt, who in November of 2011 made the decision to cease operations of her brokerage firm and return funds to her customers citing “systemic” problems within the entire financial industry, has issued a new warning about the stability of US banks and the safety of individual deposit accounts.

Probably getting a little kick back from the gun companies and ammunition guys as every nut job loads up to make sure he has plenty stored up after each shooting and the gun control noise usually started by guys like this clown Perry.

Who wants to take guns away from law abiding citizens? Name some names. There are people (myself included) who question the need for things like 100-round clips. That's light years different than taking all guns away from law abiding citizens.